Straw hat



June 21, 1927. ,633,358

F. S, BATES STRAW HAT Filed Oct. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 74' 4 HHIII mlh ,6. ATTORNEY June 21, 1927. F. & BATES,

STRAW HAT 3 Filed Oct;

8, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR flunk/m fflafar Patented June 21, 1927;

UNITED STATES V 1 ,13a,3'ssv PATENT, OFFICE.

FRANKLIN S. BATES, 'OF HOUNT VERNON, N IW YORK.

Application filed October a,- 1926. Serial in. 140,228.

The present invention relates broadly to hats and more especially to a selfconforming straw hat.

Heretofore in the art, the usual type of straw hat was one in which the crown and brim was formed of straw by sewing rows of straw braid together and with the brim comprising a plurality of layers of such sewed straw braid. Then the entire hat was submerged in glue in order to secure the several rows of braid more ermanently together Ialnd to facilitate shaping and blocking the Straw hats have also been manufactured with the major portion of the brim and the upper portion only of the crown glued together, thereby leaving an unglued portion adjacent the uncture of the crown and brim so as to secure flexibility over that portion of the hat which presses against the head of the wearer. In this type of bat, the unglued portion has been reenforced by sewing a wide band of single braid (grass or straw) on the inside of the hat over the unglued portion, thereby providing the necessary strength without destroying the flexibility of the head contacting portion of the hat. Then the usual sweat band was sewed over the wide braid to form direct contact with the head of the wearer.

This type of hat is flexible both in a circumferential direction and in a radial direction. .While the unglued portion of straw and braid possesses considerable elasticity, there is a tendency of such a hat to stretch at the head zone and to gradually become larger during use. Furthermore, while the wide supporting braid at away from the side wall of the hat, continued use tends to compact the braid more tightly against the hat wall, whereby the biraid to a large extent. loses its cushioning e ect.

The present invention comprises an im-- provement in the form of flexible hat referred to and comprises the providing of a flexible elastic member secured between the braid and the side wall of the hat in such manner that the flexible member has longitudinal freedom of movement relative to the braid and at the same time. is held in a definite position on the braid at the head contacting zone. This elastic member may comprise a covered rubber cord or band, a portion of which preferably extends through an eyelet of the supporting braid to enable the first stands slightly tension on the flexible cord to be increased or diminished as the wearer may desire. This flexible cord or member, holds the su porting straw bra-id separated from the si e wall ofthe hat, thereby maintaining a maximum cushioning effect of the supporting braid and at the same time preventing undue stretching or expansion of the supporting braid Without limiting the longitudinal understood as illustrative and not in the limiting sense.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an elevational View of a hat in accordance with the present invention with the portions thereof shown in sections.

Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the hat.

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional elevational view of a portion of the crown and brim illustrating the present invention.

Figure 4 is a erspective view of the bottom of the hat s owing the arrangement by which the elastic member may be shortened or lengthened.

Figure 5 is an elevational detail View showin the eyelet arrangement for shortenin or engthening the elastic band.

Tigure 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the preferred manner of attaching the elastic member to thesupporting braid.

Figure 7 is a back view of the stitch by which the elastic member is preferably attached to the supporting braid.

Referring now more specially to the drawings, the hat preferabl is made from sewingtogether rows 1 of sennit straw braid. The zone enclosed by the bracket 2, Fi re 1. is preferably unstifl'ened and not g ued. The remainder of the crown and brim are glue stifened portions in accordance with practice common in the art. The zone 2 of the hat, bein unglued, is relatively soft and flexible, an forms a comfortable headgear, since this portion of the hat is opposite int the head contacting zone. The flexibilty of this portion of the hat by the omission of the glue renders this zone relatively weak and not sufiiciently rug ed to stand severe usage. In view of this act, the supporting member 4, which may comprise a single wide braid of plaited straw, is sewed at 5 to the lower glued portion of the crown and at 6 to the inner glued part of the brim so that this supporting member 4 adds strength to the otherwise weakened portion of the hat without destroying its flexibility. The zone 2 of the hat, being unglued, has the capability of being expanded circumferentially. This function is also an attribute of the straw braid supporting member 4. There is a liability of this circumferential expansion tending to increase the head size of the hat so that in use it may gradually lower its position on the head of the wearer. An elastic member 7 of any suitable elastic material, preferably a silk covered rubber cord is secured between the wide braid 4 and the side wallof the hat, and the securing means may comprise attaching the cord to the back of the single braid, adjacent the head contacting zone by means of a zig zag stitch, which encloses the rubber cord 7 in a plurality of diagonal thread arches 8, which arches are anchored by means of loops 9 that interlock on the opposite side of the single braid, as is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. This method of securing the elastic member in position has proven particularly desirable in view of the'fact that it permits a longitudinal slipping or stretching of the elastic member relatively to the wide single braid. This relieves the head of the wearer of uncomfortable stresses and permits the elastic member to operate 1 uniformly throughout its length and furthermore, eliminates the danger of manufacturing the constricting zone too small by use of a construction which will not expand circumferentially. It also forms a very cheap and economical method of anchoring the elastic member in the proper position. In view of the fact that it is desirable to have the elastic member adjustable, adjustment is provided by the insertion of an eyelet 10 in the single braid band and preferably this eyelet 10 is located in the direct back portion of the hat. The ends of the elastic member extend through the eyelet and may be fastened together by a bow-knot 11 or other convenient fastening means. It will be observed in Figures 2 and-3 that the construction is such as to tend to pull the braid slightly away from the side wall of the hat and this provides an air space 12 between thebraid .and the side wall of the hat, thereby contributing to the comfort of the wearer both in coolness and in allowing the full cushioning effect to the elastic construction.

1,ese,ese

Th'e inward pull on the braid also has a tendency to compact rows of sennit straw over the zone 2 by placing a compression force over this area, thereby rendering this zone better adapted to withstand wear with- .out destroying the flexibility of the hat.

After the foregoing constructions have been assembled, the hat is finished by adding thereto the usual ribbon band 14 attached to the outside of the hat and the usual sweat band 15 which is sewed from the interior of the hat over the wide single braid which forms a smooth cushioning support for the sweat band.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a self-conforming straw hat comprising a plurality of straw braids sewed together with the major portion of the crown and brim glued together and with, an unglued portion adjacent the juncture of the crown and brim, the combination of a band of supporting material with the upper edge sewed to the inside of the crown and the lower edge sewed to the lower portion of the brim, an elastic member carried by said band and tending to draw the same inwardly intermediate. its edges.

2. In a self-conforming straw hat having an unglued portion adjacent the juncture of the crown and the brim, the combination of a single wide plaited straw braid band mounted within said hat, an elastic member around said band, and a sweat band over said single braid band.

3. A self-conforming straw hat comprising a hat body having an unglued portion adjacent the juncture of the crown and the brim, the combination of a circumferential band comprising a single straw braid mounted within said hat body and extending over said unglued zone, an elastic band around the said single braid and tending to oonstrict the same, an eyelet opening through said braid with a portion of the elastic member extending through the opening of the eyelet to facilitate adjusting the tension on said elastic member and a sweat band covering a portion of said single straw braid.

4. In a straw hat construction, the combination of a hat body comprising a crown and a brim portion, with a band having one edge sewed to the brim adjacent the conjuncture thereof with the crown and with the other edge sewed to the crown' thereby roviding an outer wall and an inner wall to t e body of the hat adjacent the conjuncture of the crown and the brim, an elastic tension member between said walls and tending to constrict the inner wall, and a sweat band over said inner wall.

KLIN S. BATES. 

